Garment-clasp



(No Model.)

J. G. 8v J. SCHMIDT & O. W.'HARRIS. I GARMENT CLASP. No. 421,145 Pa.tented Feb. 11,1890.

a i -x I m n UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JOSEPH G. SCHMIDT AND JOSEPHINE SCHMIDT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN SYLVANIA, AND CHARLES IV. HARRIS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

GARMENT-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,145, dated February 11, 1890.

Application filed August 15, 1889. Serial No. 320,818. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOSEPH G. SCHMIDT and JOSEPHINE SCHMIDT, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, and CHARLES W. HARRIS, of Hartford, in the county of Hart-ford and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Garment-Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to clasps for supporting garments, and is so constructed that it will firmly clasp and hold the article'to which it is applied without tearing or injuring it, obviating the necessity of teeth or indented clamping-edges, and is so formed that an increase in the tension or pulling of the free end of the clasp will tend to tighten the clamping-jaws upon the article between them.

Our improved clasp is particularly suited for supporting womens stockings from the bottom of the corset of the wearer, because the clasp in no way injures the corset, and any tendency of the stocking to fall tightens the jaws upon the corset and secures them more firmly thereto by pulling upon the free end of the clasp. It may be applied to a great variety of uses, such as holding up sleeves, cuffs, drawers, the.

In carrying out our invention we employ two pivoted pieces or jaws, which are preferably of stamped sheet metal and have inclined faces, between which is, a movable link provided with a large head to move against the inclined faces and force the jaws toward each other. In combination with said parts we employ a spring which is so arranged that it forces the link andits head away from the pivot of the jaws and normally causes the jaws to close upon the article. By employing this spring the jaws will not loosen their hold, even should the band attached to the link of the clasp become loosened. We also prefer to employ recesses in the sides of the j aw-plates, into which the head of the link may pass when in the act of opening the jaws by forcing the rear ends together by the fingers. There are other details of construction which are fully referred to hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an illustrative View showing our improved clasp as applied to use in supporting womens stockings. Fig.

2 is a perspective view of the clasp.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same on line w x, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section of same on line y 3 A is the clasp.

B is a supportingband, of elastic or other material, connected to the clasp A, as hereinafter described, to which the stocking C or other article to be supported is attached. The stocking C may be held, if desired, byaclasp similar to my improved clasp A, or it may be attached to the band B by any convenient means. I

D is the corset to which the clasp A is applied.

The clasp is formed of two corresponding metal pieces or j aW-sections E E, having their edges bent over and pivoted together ate. These pieces E E are provided with flanged or inwardly-projecting ends F F, forming the clamping-jaws, and have their other or free ends I I curved or inclined inwardly to a slight degreethat is, tending to approach each other at the rear, forming the inclined faces K. (See Fig. 3.) These clamping pieces or jaws are each preferably provided with recesses J at the foot of the inclined faces K, which in fact act as a continuation of said inclined faces. 'One of these plates is also provided with a tongue L, which is stamped inward, as shown above, or to the rear of the hinge or pivot-pin e, which tongue acts as a support for a spring, to be hereinafter described.

Gis a link having an enlarged end or head H, preferably formed by bending or rolling over the end of the link G. This enlarged end or head H fits between the inclined faces K of the ends I I, and is loosely held between them and prevented from falling out laterally by means of the side edges of the pieces E E. The band B may be attached to this link G through a slot or opening g, formed for that purpose. The head part of the link is recessed at its under part, as shown at h, and a spring M is interposed between the tongue or support L and the head and held in position by being received in the said recess in the head. If desired, additional lateral tongues Z may be employed to hold the spring in position laterally. When the rear edges I of the plates are pressed together, the inclined faces K force the head H into the recesses J, allowing the jaws to be opened. By employing the recesses the link has but little play in the opening or closing of the jaws. The enlargements N, produced upon the outside of the plates E by the formation of the recesses J, give finger-hold in operating the clasp, and these parts may be roughened, as shown, if desired.

The material D to be clamped is placed between the flanged ends E E, (which we prefer to form Without teeth or indentations to preventtearing of the material,) and when the link G is pulled or drawn out, so that that enlarged end or head H is brought farther out between the curved faces of the ends I I, it will tend to force those ends farther apart, and thus move the clamping or gripping jaws F F closer together upon the material D, and the greater the tension upon the link G the tighter will these jaws be clamped. The spring M, acting upon the enlarged end or head H, is sufficint to hold the link securely in position without allowing it to become loosened by accident, while it may be readily pushed in when desired to free the ends I I and allow the jaws F F to be opened to release the material D. I

It is apparent that the details of construction here shown may be varied without departing from the principles of our invention, and are not to be considered limitations of it.

The parts of the clasp may be stamped from sheet metal at a small expense for manufacture.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1-. A clasp consisting of two jaws pivoted together and formed with rearwardly-extending parts whose adjacent surfaces are inclined toward each other, a strap-link having an enlarged head fitting between the said inclined faces, so that when pulled the two jaws are forced together, and a spring pressing upon said link to normally force it away in said inclined surfaces, and a strap-link having an enlarged head arranged between and directly in contact with the inner inclined faces of said rear ends and adapted to be received within said recesses, whereby when said strap-link is moved rearwardly the enlarged head presses directly against the rear ends of the jaws and forces them apart, thereby pressing the forward or clamping jaws together.

3. A clasp consisting of two jaws pivoted together and formed with rearwardly-extending parts whose adjacent surfaces are inclined toward each other and also formed with recesses located near their rear ends, substantially as set forth, a strap-link having a head fitting between the said inclined faces and directly in contact therewith and adapted to bereceived within the space formed by the recesses when opening the jaws, and a spring pressing upon said link to normally press said head of the link away from the recesses and between the inclined faces.

4:. A clasp consisting of two box-shaped jaws of stamped sheet metal hinged together and having rearwardlyextending inclined faces, a strap-link having a head inclosed within said box-shaped jaws and adapted to work in connection with the inclined faces to force said jaws together, and a spring supported within said box-shaped jaws and arranged between a projection from one jaw and the head of the link.

5. A clasp consisting of the two jaws of stamped sheet metal having the rear inclined faces K K and recesses J J, and thesupport L for the spring formed on one of said jaws, the hinge-pin e, the link G of stamped shee metal having the head H, formed by the end of the link being coiled or bent and adapted to operate in connection with the inclined faces K K and recesses J J, and the spring M, arranged between the support L and head G of the link.

In testimony of which invention we hereunto set our hands.

JOSEPH G. SCHMIDT. JOSEPHINE SCHMIDT. CHAS. IV. HARRIS.

\Vitnesses: R. M. HUNTER, ANDREW ZANE. 

